Rain Drop
by MizWrite
Summary: Juvia had been alone for as long as she could remember. However, as she begins to finally come to terms with her past, new light is shed on her origins, and with Gray's help she sets out on an emotional journey to embrace who she is. Angsty Juvia backstory fic. Juvia POV. Gruvia-centric.
1. A Cloudy Recollection

_A/N: Special thanks to the talented HoneyTeaCake who drew the beautiful cover image._

Juvia's small hand was pressed against the window's glass, her eyes wide as if trying to follow every drop's journey before they hit the ground. Watching the rain was a frequent habit of Juvia's, as it seemed to rain often around the small cottage she called home. Her mother Silvia was currently occupied at a sewing table a few feet away within the sitting room, stitching a complicated pattern on a tiny, velvety blue dress she had been making for her 10-month-old daughter. Sylvia was dark-haired and dark-eyed, which contrasted tremendously against her porcelain skin. She looked rather regal and intimidating, with her slanted eyes and high cheekbones. But currently, her expression was warm and focused as she worked.

Little Juvia was standing upright on the plush couch, leaning against the back cushion, her chubby little arms stretched towards the window. Her eyes wandered skyward, as if pondering where all this water was contained before making it's way down to earth. The sound of the steady rain beating a gentle rhythm on the window pane was then momentarily overshadowed by the sound of a door, and her father Benjamin's deep, and exuberant voice.

"Well, well, what have my two wonderful girls been doing while I was away?" he asked merrily, his gray eyes twinkling as he entered the room. His six-foot tall frame seemed even larger because of the low ceilings of the cottage, but other than his broad shoulders, he actually had quite a slender build. His clothes and light-blue hair, which was parted to the side, and neatly slicked back, were completely dry, even though he had clearly just come from outside, and didn't appear to have been carrying an umbrella.

"You were gone longer than you said you would be," and there was a questioning tone in Sylvia's voice, though she smiled up at him from her work.

"That's because I was in the arms of beautiful woman, and couldn't bear to part from her," he said quite seriously, although his grin gave him away.

"Don't say things like that in front of Juvia," she admonished, though she allowed him to place a kiss on her lips when he leaned down over her just the same. "Did Mrs. Aldereen talk your ear off again?"

"Not literally, thankfully," he said, tugging at the both of his, as if to show that they were still in place, and then walking over to his daughter on the couch. She held her hands up to him, as he lifted her high in the air. She giggled and cuddled into her father's neck while he hugged her.

"She's been lonely ever since she lost her husband, and she's always giving us all those cakes and breads. Listening to her stories is the least I could do," he said, one arm around his daughter, as he placed a bundled, plaid handkerchief, which obviously contained more baked goodies, onto the coffee table. He then sat down on the couch, his daughter now on his lap.

"She's such a dear," Sylvia said fondly, knotting up a thread before cutting the excess off with a pair of tiny scissors.

"Yeah," he agreed, as he tickled Juvia's sides, eliciting a gargled laugh.

Juvia squirmed happily in her father's grasp.

"You're definitely sure she has no idea who we are, Ben?" and there was a hint of worry in Sylvia's tone.

"Definitely not," he said confidently. "You think an old woman keeps up with who sits on the magic council? She's not even a magic user for one thing."

Ben grasped Juvia's face between his thumb and forefinger. "So, judging by this adorable, smiling expression, I'm guessing this isn't our little rain drop's doing this time?" he asked in amusement, turning his head to look out of the window at their rain-drenched back garden.

"No, I don't feel any magical presence this time. This is natural rain," Silvia agreed. "And speaking of the rain, what are you thinking walking around without an umbrella in this downpour?"

Ben laughed. "But I don't need one. Besides, I'd feel silly using an umbrella when I've gone without one since I was sixteen."

"That's not the point, Ben, and you know it," Sylvia said in worry. "We need to keep a low profile. We don't want to seem suspicious."

"I know, I know," Ben said apologetically, waving her off. "It's just a bad habit. I'll remember to take one next time."

"It's bad enough that it keeps raining around the house any time Juvia starts crying. We don't need any other mysterious phenomenons that have to be explained away to nosy neighbors. " She sounded worn.

Ben sighed, as he looked from his wife, who looked more concerned than stern, to his daughter, who sat in his lap, looking up contentedly at him. Juvia's hair was exactly the same shade as his, but she resembled her mother in nearly every other way. However, her power was undoubtedly one other thing she had inherited from Ben.

"I'm getting scared, Ben," Sylvia admitted, putting down her needle for a moment, to look her husband in the eyes. "Every day, I think this will be the one when we're found out. Everyday, I think Juvia will be…" she trailed off, her eyes now downcast.

"They don't even know she exists, love," Ben assured her calmly. "And, they have no idea where we went."

"But if they find out - " Sylvia started, tears forming in her eyes as she looked from her husband, to her daughter on his lap.

Ben cut her off before she could expound any further on her worries, having heard them many a time before. "Then we'll send her away. It's as simple as that."

"Can you really do that?" Sylvia asked him earnestly, her forehead creasing.

"To protect her, I would. I would do anything for that," he said, and there was no hesitation in his voice, though he subconsciously held Juvia a little tighter.

"I just don't understand it. Having this power so young…" Sylvia trailed off, her thoughts obviously mingling with her sewing task, as she began to add buttons down the back of the tiny dress.

"Yeah," Ben agreed absentmindedly. "Neither of our parents were mages, so I'm not sure how it works in families where both parents are trained in magic, like us. Maybe this is the norm?" And he looked into his daughter's large, dark eyes which blinked up at him expectantly.

"Listen here, my little rain drop," Ben said affectionately, obviously wanting for a change of subject. He held Juvia upright on the couch, so she was again facing the window, which streamed with water each time the wind blew against the glass.

"I want you to know how important the rain is." Ben pointed out of the window, as he tried to direct his daughter's vision towards their back garden, bursting with blooms of every color, and rich, green grass. "Without rain, nothing would grow. Water flows within every living thing on this planet - the world, the people, the animals, the flowers, even a little butterfly needs water to survive," he said softly into her ear.

Juvia listened intently to her father's low voice, though her gaze was unwavering as she continued to focus on the water pelting the damp dirt road beyond their garden fence.

"Water is life, my little rain drop, and if you take water away, you take life away. That's why, you have to use your magic to make people's lives better," he finished gently.

Juvia reached out to touch the window again, as if she longed to feel the stream of liquid that flowed past against her little finger tips.

"Are you saying all that for Juvia's sake, or to make yourself feel more important?" Sylvia teased from behind them.

Ben didn't have to look at her to know his wife was smirking. He also grinned. "Just like an ice mage to be jealous of the base element…" he said lazily to Juvia, without glancing back to see his wife's reaction. "And remember one more thing, my little rain drop," he said in a carrying whisper, as he pulled her attention away from the window, and drew her close so they were nose to nose. "Ice wouldn't even exist without water," and this time, he did turn towards Sylvia, who gave him a sideways glance.

"Don't teach her nonsense," Sylvia said rolling her eyes, but she was clearly more amused than annoyed.

"What nonsense?" he asked seriously, although he was still smiling. "That's just the facts of life," he stated, his eyebrow raised. "And not only that, my little rain drop," he went on, a wicked expression on his face, as Juvia eyed her father in wonder, "but when you put ice into water, it _melts_. Or, I guess in this case, it's when you put water into ice -"

Ben's explanation was interrupted, as a heavy piece of rolled up newspaper was slammed onto the top of his head.

Juvia jumped a little, but Ben seemed unperturbed by the violent interruption. They both turned towards Sylvia, who's cheeks were puffed out in irritation.

"Calm down, my love, This is an innocent talk, I swear," he assured her with his customary cocky grin.

"Oh?" Sylvia questioned doubtfully.

"Of course. What do you think I'd be telling our young daughter? Your mother's mind goes to such impure places sometimes," he said to Juvia, shaking his head in regret.

Sylvia's eyes narrowed.

Juvia stared from her father to her mother in confusion.

"As I was saying, my little rain drop," he went on, as if he hadn't just been attacked by his wife, who had grudgingly resumed her seat at the sewing table, "Water melts ice, and once that happens, they become one and the same. That's what makes them so perfect for each other," and he gave another sideways look at Sylvia, who did not look back, but was now smiling to herself as she finished adding all the buttons to Juvia's new dress.

Juvia looked curiously from her father to her mother, and then back out the window again. "Rain is good?" Juvia asked her father suddenly, her young mind clearly still lingering over her father's previous words.

Ben smiled down at his daughter, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the rain. "Yes, my little rain drop. The rain is very good," he assured her, before taking her small face in his hands again, and turning her earnest gaze towards his once more, "so make sure to _always_ shower the world in your _warmth_."

Juvia woke suddenly in her dorm room, her forehead and neck slick with sweat. She sat bolt upright, breathing heavily, and looking around the darkened room in a panic. By the light of the moon, she could see that there was nothing stirring, except for her bedroom curtains due to the slight breeze wafting in through the open window. She had been having a dream. One that she felt she may have had before - perhaps many times before. But, as she tried to recall what it was about, the details slipped away from her the more she attempted to maintain her hold of them, as if they were purposely running from her grasp. All she was left with, was a memory of a cloudy downpour. Was she dreaming of the rain?

_It must have been a nightmare_, she thought, as she grabbed a tissue to dab at her forehead.

After all, she absolutely _hated_ the rain.

* * *

_A/N: I really debated whether to post this story. I've been dying to write something about Juvia's past for ages, but I generally don't like working on angsty, multi-chapter fics, and this definitely fits those categories. There will be many flashbacks still to come, as well as plenty of Gruvia (I promise!) as I work through her past, and fill in the gaps, so I hope you'll follow along. ^_^_


	2. An Ice Warm Hug

_A/N: An update! Thanks to all those who read and reviewed the previous chapter! This chapter introduces the Gruvia element of this story, so I hope you enjoy it. ^_^_

* * *

"Before the child snatchers came, my family ran a farm," Erza was saying to a large group of Fairy Tail members who occupied a table near the center of the guild hall. "I used to wake up early every morning to help my mother with the chores, but after that I'd spend nearly all day with my father. My mother was the disciplinarian, and kept everything running smoothly, but my dad was at the heart of the work. He loved every bit of it, and it showed," Erza concluded, with a reminiscent gleam in her eyes, and a bittersweet smile playing on her lips.

Juvia couldn't remember exactly how they had reached the topic of people's families, but before she knew it, everyone was discussing their life prior to joining Fairy Tail, and what everyone's parents had been like. At first, Juvia was really glad to hear more about her guild mate's pasts, learning about how they grew up, and seeing them happily talking about their moms and dads. But, she quickly realized that with everyone sharing like this, it would soon be her own turn, and her mood immediately plummeted.

She didn't have anything to talk about, and no such memories to share. She didn't remember her parents, and the only life she knew prior to joining Phantom Lord was one spent in an orphanage. While everyone else had at some point, however briefly, had loving families, be they dragons or humans, Juvia could never remember being loved or wanted in this way by anybody because of her rain. There was just a heavy cloud of isolation that hung over Juvia's past before she joined Fairy Tail, and her life was at it's darkest during her youngest years.

Juvia was jolted out of her thoughts by Levy. She had been sitting next to her, and had begun to talk about her own family. Juvia knew it would be her turn next. A rush of nerves and shame hit her, and feeling her eyes swell with tears, she hastily squeezed out of her seat at the bench between Levy and Gray, faintly brushing Gray's shoulder as she went. She bolted out of the hall, and into the outside pool area of the guild before anyone could call her back. Even though it was already spring, it was unseasonably cold outside that day, so she knew she'd be safely alone there.

Juvia took long deep breathes of cool air, as the warm tears streamed down her cheeks. She clenched her hands into fists, willing herself to stop crying, and trying to remind herself that her past didn't matter anymore. She was happy now, and that's what counted. But, the tears would not stop flowing. What had happened to her family? And why hadn't they wanted her? Had they hated the rain as much as everyone else did? Thoughts that she had not had since before she joined Fairy Tail now besieged her. The more she thought about these things, the bigger the wave of emotions became, so that her flow of tears seemed unlikely to end any time soon.

She angrily wiped away more tears with her fist, sniffing loudly, and staring down at her booted feet resting on the concrete.

What a mess she was, she thought sourly, kicking halfheartedly at a pebble on the ground. Just as she was deciding whether to head for the dorm, so she could at least wallow in her sadness in privacy, she felt something strong and warm wrap around her body.

Someone was hugging her.

"Please don't cry."

The familiar low voice was barely above a whisper as it tickled her ear, sending a thrill rushing threw her at the slight breath that had escaped his lips when he had spoke. His arms that encircled her waist and shoulders were comforting and exciting all at once. It was Gray, and he had come to find her.

Without thinking, and as if she had been longing for this her entire life, she reached behind her, entwining her hand into his hair, feeling it's soft spikes brushing against her right cheek. When he didn't pull away, she pulled him as close to her as she could, melting into him, her other hand grasping his arm. She cherished every place their bodies met, and wished to never leave his comforting embrace. She needed this so badly, and it felt so incredible to be held like this, and by him.

"Gray-sama…." she said breathlessly. Another tear slipped down her face, and landed on Gray's left hand, which was holding onto her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked earnestly, and she could hear the concern in his voice.

Her heart tightened even more knowing that she was making him worry. This Juvia was someone Gray rarely saw, since Juvia was always so happy when she was around the man she loved.

"It's nothing," she had started to say, but Gray cut her off.

"Don't give me that crap, I saw your face when everyone was talking. You looked like someone had died," he said, but there was nothing harsh about his tone. He was clearly concerned.

Juvia sniffed loudly again.

"Is it something you can't tell me?" and he sounded a little hurt.

Juvia's heart skipped a beat. He wanted Juvia to talk to him? But, this was Juvia's shame. What would Gray do if he found out even her own family hadn't wanted anything to do with her? Gray didn't know much about her past, and she had intended to keep it that way, since she thought she herself had put it behind her. But now, Gray wanted her to share this pain with him, when she'd rather just be held in silence, forgetting her grief while engulfed in his arms, hoping his caress would be enough to chase away the demons that plagued her.

She broke out of her reverie when she felt Gray's arms tighten around her body slightly. It was as if he spurring her on, and reassuring her it would be ok. She took heart from this.

"No, it's just…with everyone talking about their families, Juvia realized she too would have to speak about her past. But, she didn't have any family to talk about." She paused there, letting the blunt truth hang in the silence, waiting for Gray to pull away from her at this discovery. But he didn't. Her throat now felt constricted with emotions she was trying to suppress. Gray gave her another squeeze, and she took another deep breath before continuing.

"Juvia was left in an orphanage," she started, as if ripping into an old wound. "That's the only home she knew, and she has no memories prior to it. When she was recruited by Phantom Lord, she did try to find some connection to her name," she said desperately, recalling the pain of her failure, "but never discovered even a trace of another person with the name Lockser. It was as if whoever placed Juvia in the orphanage purposely did not want to be found. And Juvia doesn't even remember having parents, let alone being loved by them. If she was, why would she have been given away? Was it because no one could love a rain woman?"

The resentful question flew from her lips without her permission, and she became angry with herself once more. She must sound so bitter to him. But, before she was given any more time for regret to sink in, Gray was holding her even tighter again, and she felt him nuzzle into the crook of her neck for a second, before separating enough in order to speak. His words into her ear were fierce.

"There's _no way_ someone like** you** wasn't _loved_," he assured her passionately.

Juvia's eyes widened and the power behind Gray's statement washed over her. She had shamelessly confessed her resentment, and instead of turning away from her like she had feared, or thinking she was some kind of monster that even her own parents couldn't love, he had clung even tighter and tried to ease her sadness. Relieved, she let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding in.

A squeaky and overwhelmed "thank you," was all Juvia could manage to say in response. She pressed back against him once more, trying to hold him closer, as if wishing they could meld together and never separate. The contact was like a drug, and his warm breath against her neck soothed her hurt more with each passing second.

However, their intense closeness was about to be cut short. The sound of voices drifted out through the guild hall behind them. Someone was near the back doors. Before Juvia could even think to react, Gray had swiftly separated himself from her. She never knew if it was her imagination, or if a cold gust of wind really had blown over her when they had parted. She looked over at Gray, but he would not meet her eyes, as if he was uncomfortable.

"Anyway, they'll be wondering where we went," he said, clearly trying to cover the awkward silence. And he began to walk back into the brightly lit guild hall. Juvia smiled softly to herself, and was about to follow, when Gray stopped suddenly.

"We're your family now, ok? So, you don't need to feel down, since you're not alone anymore," he said gruffly over his shoulder, still not looking at her.

"Right," Juvia said, and her smile widened. _Gray-sama was really too wonderful_, she thought while he walked out of sight, Juvia following in his wake. The heavy weight that had settled over her earlier was now dissipating as she strode into the warm glow of the guild.

_There's no way someone like you wasn't loved._

Those words came back to her later that night when she was lying in her bed back at the girl's dorm. The darkness was sweeping over her room once more.

_Someone like Juvia…_ What did Gray mean by that? She knew he had meant it as a compliment, and the very thought of his words, and his embrace caused her heart to pound, and her skin to tingle in the most wonderful ways all over again. It also made her wonder what Gray really thought of her. Sometimes his actions were really confusing. One minute he was hugging her, and the next he was hurriedly separating himself from her, and adopting a friendly, but detached manner. But, she found that the intimate moments that made her heart sing were becoming more frequent. Could things be changing between them? Maybe Gray was finally looking at Juvia the way she had always hoped he would?

However, even these thrilling thoughts couldn't completely erase her earlier distress, and the question that she'd had her entire life. Where was her real family? If Gray was right, and someone did at one time care about her, what could have happened to them? Were they still out there somewhere? As she had told Gray, she never found any trace of a "Lockser" relative. As she pondered this another sudden thought struck her. She recalled something odd that Master Jose had said to her shortly after she had joined Phantom Lord.

"It's amazing how no one has noticed how much you look like her. It's striking, really," he said, scrutinizing her, an amused look on his face.

"What do you mean, Master? Who does Juvia look like?" Juvia asked, confused.

"Well," he said, talking more to himself than to her, as he turned away, "I'd say you're more useful like this, completing my set."

Before Juvia could ask him to elaborate, Jose went on.

"You'll do everything in your power to help increase Phantom Lord's status, won't you, Juvia?" he asked, and the question was almost like an ultimatum.

"Of course, master," Juvia said, nonplussed. "Juvia will do anything as a Phantom Lord mage in order to make you proud," she assured him stoutly.

"That's what I want to hear," he said, grinning in a satisfied way as he turned back to her.

Her recollections were fading quickly into muddled dreams, however, as her head rested comfortably into her pillow. She wondered dazedly if Master Makarov, who had been acquainted with Master Jose, might know something, and decided to ask him for information the following day. Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift back to Gray's embrace once more as a serene smile occupied her moonlit face.

* * *

_A/N: Oh jeez, I procrastinated on this big time, huh? Thanks again to all those who reviewed the previous chapter, and gave me the encouragement to keep going. Truth be told, I had half of this written for months now, but was preoccupied with the actual events in the manga. However, now you'll probably (HOPEFULLY) see more frequent updates from me, as well as a new one-shot I've had planned for ages. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you'll stick around for the continuation. ^_^_


	3. An Elemental Challenge

_A/N: Finally another update! Thanks to all those who reviewed the previous chapters! This chapter is going to be a long one consisting almost entirely of flashbacks and reminiscing. So, for those who are interested in Juvia's backstory, this chapter is for you. ^_^_

* * *

Juvia was still in a very good mood following the previous days events, and the blissful hug Gray had bestowed upon her. However, it was with a query in mind that she made her way towards the guild on that sunny spring morning. She was intent on asking Master Makarov about Jose, and hopefully getting some insight into her past. She was aware that Master Makarov and Master Jose, both being official Guild Master's and Wizard Saints, had a long history together. However, she also knew that they had a tense relationship thanks to Jose's power hungry ambitions, and fiercely competitive nature.

When Juvia had been part of Phantom Lord, Jose lingered obsessively over keeping on top of Fairy Tail. Juvia recalled him becoming incensed whenever Fairy Tail made it into the papers, even when they were simply reports of property damage or some other type of destruction that their mages had caused during missions. According to Master Jose, even bad publicity was good publicity, since their guild was being talked about, and their mages were becoming more well known. Juvia knew Jose's formation of the Element Four was an attempt to keep up with, and overshadow Fairy Tail's increasing popularity and mystique.

As Juvia continued to beat the familiar path to her new guild, and true home Fairy Tail, she couldn't help but recall how full of hope and happiness she had been when she first had joined Phantom Lord. She had thought that she had found a place she was finally accepted, but that misconception was forcibly cleared away for her almost immediately. Sometimes she heard whispers or mutters as she passed other mages in the guild hall. Some of them thought she was pitiable, followed by the rain as she was, and others found her situation quite humorous. However, they all had one thing in common, and that was that they were all terrified of her.

She still remembered the day that she had been promoted to the Element Four. Master Jose himself had called her into his office, where Aria, Monsieur Sol and Totomaru had already been waiting. Juvia never had much contact with any of them before, even though she had been at Phantom Lord for over a year. To be fair, however, she didn't know anyone that well. She mostly kept to herself, and from what she could tell, the rest of the guild members seemed to prefer it that way. Juvia always wondered if the reasoning behind Jose choosing her for the Element Four really was as he claimed, and that he valued her as a mage, acknowledged her great power and skill, and that she had earned her place in this most elite of groups. Or, as Juvia was more inclined to believe these days, Master Jose simply found her a match for this set he put together, and wanted to take advantage of the scary rumors that had started to be bandied about as to the potential of her magic, and the forbidding aura she emanated. Certainly the latter was a much more shallow reasoning that seemed to fit her old master's character better.

To this day, her thoughts of not having truly earned her S-Class position left a bad taste in her mouth, and played a part in her disillusioned view of the position, and her own worthiness of it ever since. However, being the only female member of the group, and being recognized by Jose, made her even more intimidating to the rest of her guild than ever before, and therefore made her feel even more isolated.

In all honesty, her time in Phantom Lord wasn't much different from her time in the orphanage. True, no one teased her, or was throwing things at her any more, which had been a favorite pastime of the boys in her class, after she had once, and instinctively activated her water body as a means of defense. She remembered that they called her a monster after they saw her use it, and she never used it again, no matter what they attempted to throw at her. She must have looked like a fool as she let the bits of garbage and miscellaneous flotsam hit her, rather than endure more taunts about how freakish she was because of her magic.

Nor did Juvia now view her powers as a curse she longed to rid herself of, since she was finally able to use her powers to accomplish things in the name of her guild, which gave her a sense of pride. During her time in Phantom Lord she became more confident, and took a firmer reign over her abilities, making them work for her instead of against her.

However, because Juvia gave off an aura of intense gloom, and she continued to be dogged by eerie rumors, as well as her current status as a S-Class Element Four member, she still felt extremely lonely, no matter her new team, or how big the population of her guild. And Phantom Lord had indeed been huge, as at one point the guild held more members than any other official guild on the continent. Master Jose believed in quantity over quality, and in his opinion the large number of mages bearing the Phantom Lord name sent a message of power to rival guilds.

As Juvia continued to ponder her time in her old guild, she was surprised to find herself already at her destination. The cold memories of her former life made the sight of the Fairy Tail crest feel like an even warmer welcome than usual. She looked at the guild's exterior fondly, and could already hear the excited banter from within. Smiling to herself, she made her way inside.

It was still early, so the guild hall was emptier than it usually was, but there were a few groups and teams scattered around the hall, and even the bar stools were all occupied as Mirajane filled up drinks. Juvia made her way towards her.

"Good morning, Juvia," Mirajane turned to her with a smile, her hands loaded with foaming mugs that spilled over their rims.

"Good morning, Mira-san! Does Mira-san happen to know if Master is free? Juvia would like to speak to him about something."

"Yes, he's in the back lounge. A client just left, so he should be available if you want to go in and see him," Mira informed her as she handed out the round of drinks.

"Juvia will do that, thank you very much," Juvia said politely, giving her a swift smile, and passing through the chattering groups, as she made her way to the back room where Master Makarov usually conducted most of the guild's business. Juvia had entered this room only a few times before, and one of those times was when she had first sought to join Fairy Tail. The room was different back then, having been freshly rebuilt after Gajeel had demolished it during the war between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail. Juvia well remembered how she had left Gray's group after the events of the Tower Of Heaven, so that she could plead her case with Fairy Tail's master as soon as possible. She had made a couple of brief stops along the way, however.

After everything that had happened between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord, she acknowledged that there was no guarantee that Master Makarov would consent to her becoming a part of his guild. But, regardless of what would happen, she knew that this was going to be her fresh start in life. So, she did something drastic and chopped off her long hair that she usually wore in a curled up style. She always had a fondness for her curls for some reason, having had naturally wavy hair since she was young. It was one of the few things she did like about herself at that time, but if she was going to be starting anew, then her hair was one of the sacrifices she was willing to make. This change in style didn't stop there, though, as she also forsook her coat dress for a more flowing and brighter look. She hoped this would not only put her in a new mindset, but also help the Fairy Tail members to accept her, not as the scary rain woman who had a hand in attacking them, but as a girl who was turning over a new leaf and wanted to befriend them.

The second deviation she made on her route to Fairy Tail, was to seek out a former ally that she had been worried about ever since Phantom Lord disbanded. While it was true that Juvia had made no real friends during her time In Phantom Lord, there was someone she had always felt a kinship with, and that was Gajeel Redfox. He had already been a part of Phantom Lord by the time Juvia had joined when she was fourteen. She had never found him frightening, as he mostly kept to himself the same way she did, although he had his admirers, or "pests," as he called them, that flocked around him. Gajeel had been known as Phantom Lord's ace. Juvia knew why Master Jose had liked Gajeel. He was wild and seemingly without limits. Whenever there was a dirty job Jose needed doing, Gajeel was only too happy to oblige. Being a rare dragon slayer likewise made Gajeel very valuable to Phantom's guild master, especially in light of Fairy Tail's Salamander constantly making headlines. Therefore, Gajeel's power and willingness to cause havoc on Jose's slightest whim, put him on par with The Element Four, and he was often grouped together with them when Jose doled out the important missions.

Juvia well remembered the first time she had been assigned to a job together with Gajeel. It was pouring rain as usual, thanks to Juvia's presence. Being a new S-Class member, she was still getting used to being assigned to missions with her other Element Four team members, and she had never spent any time alone together with Gajeel before. Being well aware of his temperament, she was slightly worried about how things would go. Even the other Element Four members got slightly weary of the constant rain, so she could only imagine how Gajeel would react. Juvia, however, had long since become accustomed to this adverse attitude towards her powers, so having resigned herself to the worst, she was therefore surprised by his response when she apologetically broached the subject while they made their way to the headquarters of the dark guild Lion's Roar, which they had been assigned to eradicate.

"Juvia is sorry about the rain, Gajeel-san," she had said on that dreary summer day, as she walked slightly behind the dragon slayer down a muddy road, made even muddier by the steady stream of precipitation.

"Ah," Gajeel grunted back in reply. While Juvia held her trusty pink umbrella over her head, Gajeel tromped along without any cover from the shower that dogged their travels.

"D-Doesn't Gajeel-san mind the rain?" she had asked timidly, knowing full well what the answer would be.

Gajeel didn't look at her, but his profile seemed impassive as he replied, "I don't give a shit about it either way. It's just a bit of water. It means nothing to me," he said indifferently.

Juvia was taken aback by this answer. Not only was it unexpected coming from someone like Gajeel, who seemed to be happily argumentative about anything and everything, but it was also the first time someone had not been outright negative about her rain. Juvia couldn't help the small smile of gratefulness that formed on her lips, and the happy little bubble that formed in her heart.

"Thank you, Gajeel-kun."

Gajeel then turned to her, a little bemused, whether by the thanks she had given, or the familiar suffix she had affixed to his name, Juvia wasn't sure.

But, Gajeel didn't say anything about them as she smiled up at him. He simply faced forward again, a hard to read expression on his face, before saying, "I think those bastards are at the top of that hill behind those trees. We'll ambush them. They won't even know what hit them."

"Yes," Juvia agreed seriously. They then proceeded to quietly take out the guards stationed at the domed hideout via Juvia's water lock. This gave them the advantage of a surprise attack. Juvia and Gajeel worked seamlessly together, and it became one of Juvia's favorite missions from her time in Phantom Lord

Juvia looked at Gajeel differently after that day. His lone wolf behavior and eagerness to cause mayhem on Jose's orders started to become more clear to her. Instead of the violent and heartless dragon slayer that everyone else saw, Juvia's view of Gajeel was of someone she related to more than anyone else in Phantom Lord. He, like her, didn't really fit in, and therefore could only stand out. His willingness to obey Jose was his attempt at gaining some type of acceptance, which is what Juvia herself also longed for. And above all, no matter how surrounded by people he seemed to be, at the end of the day, those same people were frightened of him, the same way they were frightened of her. And she knew how extremely lonely that fear felt.

After the success of their first mission Juvia had been assigned on many more missions with Gajeel, sometimes alone, other times grouped with other Element Four members. But, always their teamwork was superior, and when alone, Juvia had fallen into a comfortable relationship with the iron dragon slayer. They didn't talk about their pasts, but Juvia felt at peace with Gajeel in a way she had never felt with anyone before. And, perhaps it had been her imagination, but she thought he, too felt more relaxed around her. His rowdy persona seemed to take a backseat when it was just the two of them, and she felt like she was seeing the true Gajeel during those moments. And he was not a terror who had no conscience that Jose and so many others painted him to be, but a lost young man trying to find his place in the world.

It was thanks to this impression, perhaps, that Gajeel's words to her after Phantom Lord disbanded had her so worried.

They stood outside the Magic Council building, having just been told about their guild's fate. Once the rest of the Element Four had gone their separate ways, and it was just the two of them left, Gajeel had announced that he was free at last, no longer bound to follow anyone's orders, or take on any more missions.

"What do you mean, Gajeel-kun? Juvia is sure there would be many guilds who would welcome you," she said honestly, upset by his attitude, as if he had given up on his future.

"Your brain's got waterlogged from all those years of rain," he said in irritation. "No one in their right mind is going to want me in their guild after this, and that's just fine with me. I prefer it that way," he said with that familiar bluster in his tone.

"But-" Juvia began in dismay.

Gajeel, however, cut right through her. "I'll see you around… or not. Keep dry this time, rain woman! Gihi!"

He gave her a small little grin, and she could only look sadly after him until he was out of sight.

As she had made her way from the Tower Of Heaven to Fairy Tail, it was this uneasy feeling in her heart at their parting that caused her to make this second detour to find her former fellow guild member. She headed for the junk heap, an area she knew Gajeel often frequented whenever he complained about needing alone time.

She was relieved to find him there, but not surprised by his less than friendly welcome.

"What the hell are you doing in this place, and what the heck are you wearing?" he growled at her, taking in her new look as he chewed on some nails which he had just plucked from the pile of metal he had near him.

"Juvia is starting afresh," she said stoutly. "She's about to request to join a new guild, and she thinks Gajeel-kun should come with her."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Not interested," he said firmly, turning away from her. "You can do what you want, but I'm doing fine on my own."

"Liar!" Juvia shouted in anger, standing her ground. "You're lonely, just like Juvia!"

He turned sharply back at her and he was glaring now, but she didn't care.

"Juvia found a place she might truly be able to call home. Juvia is going to try and join Fairy Tail."

At this pronouncement, Gajeel's eyes widened in shock. He could only stare dumbfounded for a long moment, before saying, half laughing, half growling, "I always knew you were a weirdo, but you're more cracked in the head than I thought. You go ahead and do that, see where it gets you. But I'm not going to grovel like some fool to get into that fairy shithole."

Juvia glared back at him, and she could feel tears stinging her eyes. "Fairy Tail is a wonderful guild. Nothing like Phantom Lord. You're just afraid - "

And before Juvia could finish her sentence, Gajeel had spat the handful of nails he had been chewing right at her at a frightening speed. Each one went straight through her water body as she stood there unflinchingly.

Neither Gajeel nor Juvia, tears still in her eyes, said anything for a second until Gajeel turned away from her once more.

"Keep your soggy self out of my business, rain woman. I don't need you or anybody else in my life, least of all a guild like Fairy Tail," his voice was low, but Juvia could hear the dispirited tone quite clearly.

Frowning, she turned to leave. "No matter what Gajeel-kun says, he wants a home as badly as Juvia does," she said over her shoulder to the dragon slayer. "Juvia knows this, because we're the same. Juvia may be able to turn herself into water, Gajeel-kun, but Juvia thinks you are far more transparent than Juvia ever could be." And with that said, she left him sitting there on that pile of iron, resolved to take matters into her own hands once she arrived at Fairy Tail.

With hindsight now in play, Juvia couldn't help but let a tender affection color those moments of reminiscence. Gajeel and herself had certainly come a long way since joining Fairy Tail, and it was on those thoughts that she knocked on the door to the lounge before Makarov told her to enter.

* * *

_A/N: I really wanted to write about Juvia's appeal to Makarov and how she joined FT, but this already had become so long, I decided to end it here. So, you can expect that flashback in the next chapter. Suffice it to say, it was nice to be able to put a few of my many Juvia head canons about her backstory into this fic. I especially enjoyed writing about Gajeel and Juvia's relationship and the reasoning behind it. Gotta love that BrOTP. ^-^ Hopefully others are enjoying this story, too! If so, let me know with a review! Every one is much appreciated! ^^ In the next chapter I''l delve further into Juvia's history, Jose's shaky relationship with Makarov, and maybe add a bit more Gruvia to make up for the lack of it in this chapter. Till then!_


	4. A Heartfelt Plea

_A/N: Thanks so much for all those who reviewed the last chapter! It makes me happy that people are interested in my version of Juvia's backstory (and the origin of Juvia and Gajeel's BrOTP!). That's definitely good news, because this is another flashback heavy chapter lol. So many of my headcanons made their way into this update as I give my version of what happened when Juvia requested to join FT. However, I'm afraid that takes up the bulk of the chapter, so the present plot didn't move very much. I hope you'll forgive me for that, and enjoy it anyway. ^_^ Also, this chapter is MUCH LONGER than any of the previous ones. Hopefully it makes up for the lack of updates for so many months. _

"Master?" Juvia poked her head through the door, and saw Makarov sitting at the far end of the room behind a redwood desk.

"Juvia?" Makarov said, looking up in surprise from the papers he had been shuffling in an attempt to neaten the bulky pile of what were likely fresh new missions destined for the mission board. "This is a rare event. What can I do for you?"

Juvia felt slightly nervous as she approached the desk, although nowhere near as nervous as the last time she had spoken privately with master Makarov. Even without figuring in the time skip, she still couldn't believe it had been so many years ago since the day she had asked to become a member of Fairy Tail.

* * *

Juvia recalled how her heart had raced as she mustered all her resolve and walked through the front door of the freshly rebuilt guild, as if she were an enemy marching into a rival camp. She remembered feeling the eyes of the guild members fixed on her once they finally realized she was among them. Had they recognized her? Did they know who she was? Did they fear her? Did they hate her? All these unnerving thoughts rushed through her mind like a frenzy, but she tried to keep them at bay. She was there for a purpose, and she needed to address the issue to the Master first, before she could even try and prove herself to the others. She continued to walk, without glancing around her, her head held high, as the merrymaking within the guild began to falter the closer she got to the bar. Is was so odd to have been watching all these people from afar up till this point, and to now suddenly be in their midst. Though there was none of that warmth that she had coveted so badly directed towards her at the moment.

The person behind the bar was a beautiful, white-haired woman, with a kind smile, who Juvia recognized as Mirajane Strauss. She had often seen her photos appear in the Weekly Sorcerer magazine. She remembered how Master Jose used to laugh mockingly whenever she had a feature. He would sneer that FT's former demon had become a pitiable shadow of her old self, her body now just a thing to be ogled, as he would retreat to his private chambers with the magazine in tow. Juvia didn't agree with her Master's sentiments. Master Jose only valued magical or physical strength, but Juvia thought it took quite a bit of bravery to pose so openly. Juvia never felt very comfortable with her own body, and always strived to hide as much of it as possible. So, she secretly wished that she, too, could be as comfortable with herself as Mirajane appeared to be.

This same woman was now staring at her in bewilderment, frozen in her task of handing some steaming mugs to the guild members seated before her.

Mirajane said nothing, as the entire guild had fallen silent at Juvia's presence now.

"Yes?" Mirajane asked at last, not unkindly, but still seemingly quite perplexed by Juvia.

"Um, good morning, Juvia was wondering if she might speak with your Master?" she inquired, her voice a little quieter than usual, but steadfast all the same.

"Master?" Mira questioned, clearly still unsure of just what to make of Juvia.

Juvia could hear a rumble of indignation and distrust building in the guild now.

She caught mutters of "isn't she from Phantom?" "She's that rain woman, right?" "What's she want here?" "She says she wants to speak to the master?" "She's trying to attack him?"

And the muttering became more hostile the longer she listened "Get out!" "No one wants you here!" "Don't you dare hurt Master again!"

Juvia's heart pounded in her throat, and her willpower was beginning to sag under the weight of their scrutiny. However, she held firm, and asked once more, as calmly and politely as she could. "Please, it's important that Juvia speak with him. You have her word that she is here peacefully as an independent mage. Juvia swears she will do no harm against anyone," she assured Mira stoutly, and this time much more loudly, so that her voice could carry amongst the guild members.

However, she wasn't sure if she had been heard, as the mutters became louder now, and people were beginning to rise from their seats. Juvia herself didn't move, but she thought sadly back to Gajeel's words. Had he been right? Was attempting to join Fairy Tail an act of foolishness for a former Phantom Lord mage?

Just as Juvia began to think she should leave, before things got out of hand, a towering shadow seemed to eclipse nearly the entire guild floor, including Juvia herself.

"ENOUGH!" she heard a loud snarl from overhead. A giant had entered the room, and was standing before Juvia without her even realizing how it had gotten there. The guild quieted in an instant.

Suddenly, the giant shrunk, until it was more than half a person shorter than Juvia herself. A small, elderly man now stood before Juvia.

"That's better," Master Makarov said, digging a finger into his ear, as if to clear the passage. "I won't have my brats being rude in front of a guest."

"B-but, master, she's no guest, she's from Phan-" a black-haired man began to say, before Makarov cut him off with a mere wave of his hand. The man, who was half standing, sat back down amongst a blue-haired girl, and a man in a ponytail. Juvia recognized them as the group Gajeel had attacked.

"I said, that was enough," and this time no one else interrupted, although Juvia could see the angry and worried faces still present in the crowd. Worst of all, Juvia couldn't blame them. And yet, there was another part of her which felt a warmth swelling in her heart. These people were so protective of their master, not because of his status, and not because they feared him, but because they genuinely cared for him. Juvia envied them.

"Juvia, I believe it was?"

Juvia jumped slightly, her preoccupied thoughts now shifting from the crowd back onto Master Makarov.

"Yes," she said simply.

"Follow me," he instructed her, as he headed towards a back door to the right of the bar.

"Master? Should I accompany you?" Mirajane offered, looking from Master Makarov to Juvia, and back again.

"No, I'd like to speak to her in private. Come, Juvia."

Juvia did as she was told, leaving the riled, but now slightly flattened crowd, behind her. Once she was in the room, Makarov took a seat behind a desk, and requested that she close the door.

She did so.

Makarov folded his fingers contemplatively in front of him, and regarded Juvia with a piercing scrutiny. After a few moments silence, he said, "come closer."

Juvia again heeded him.

"I believe there was something you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Yes," Juvia began, taking a deep breath. This was her chance. She was being allowed to plead her case.

She bowed as low as she could while still standing. "Juvia is so sorry for any hurt, emotionally or physically she may have caused you and the people in your guild. She deeply regrets the part she played in the attack on Fairy Tail, and the kidnapping of Lucy Heartfilia. She is here to take full responsibility for her actions. Juvia knows it was wrong, and how much trouble she caused, and whatever punishment you see fit to give her, Juvia will accept in order to prove her remorse and earn the guild's forgiveness." At this point Juvia took a deep breath, and steeled herself briefly for what she was about to ask next, before going on. "Juvia also humbly requests that you let her join Fairy Tail, because it has become a place that Juvia truly loves, and she wants desperately to be a part of it. Juvia wants more than anything to bask in the warmth and kindness that shines so brightly from within not just it's walls, but within it's members…Please," Juvia finished earnestly, her head still bowed low, and tears dripping from her eyes now, although she couldn't recall when the flow had started. She didn't dare look up from her bowed appeal until a finger from a overlarge hand lifted her chin upwards.

Makarov's hand shrunk back to it's original size, as his fingers knitted together again.

"My, my, what a heartfelt plea," Makarov said.

"Juvia means every word of it!" she insisted passionately.

"Including receiving a punishment?"

"Yes!" she said honestly. "Whatever you see fit!" she assured him, bracing herself.

"No matter how harsh?" Makarov asked, a slight menacing tone to his words now.

Juvia swallowed, but stood her ground. "Whatever it is, Juvia will bear it," she said.

"Hmmm," Makarov seemed to deliberate for a moment, his eyes downcast.

Juvia's hands were balled apprehensively into fists, awaiting his decision.

"Very well then," he said decidedly.

And before Juvia knew it, Makarov's hand outstretched once again, and she felt two soft, swift slaps through her skirt on her backside which caused her to jump.

"Oh!" she said in shock.

"Shame on you! Now all is forgiven," he said lightheartedly, his hand retreating once again, a big grin on his face.

"Huh?" Juvia was thoroughly confused, and her face was red. "T-that's it?" she asked in amazement.

"That's it," he confirmed, still grinning.

Juvia felt as if a dark cloud had finally cleared from overhead at the Master's cheery smile. She sighed in relief.

"And… Juvia is allowed to join Fairy Tail?"

"Of course," Makarov said kindly, his grin fading to a fatherly expression.

Juvia smiled widely back.

"Thank you, Master!" her eyes tearing up again.

"Don't mention it. Well, if that will be all -"

"No!" she said, suddenly remembering her other request.

His eyebrows raised in alarm as Juvia this time dropped to the floor, her hat touching the rich carpet of the room, and her forehead resting on top of the back of her hands, which were held out before her.

"I have one final request, this time on behalf of my former Guild mate, Gajeel Redfox,"

Juvia didn't dare look up, but Makarov made a grunting sound which seem to bid her to continue.

"I know Gajeel-kun did your guild and your guild members a lot of harm, but I assure you, it was done on the behest of our Master. You see, Gajeel-kun is similar to Juvia in many ways, and he just wanted to feel needed. He wanted to be praised by the one person who seemed to have accepted him. But it's not who he really is. And Juvia is worried now that he's been left to his own devices, what might become of him. She's scared for him, and what he might do if the loneliness consumes him even more," she said, and the strength of her imploring words reverberated throughout the room.

"Why isn't he here saying these things himself?" Makarov asked composedly.

"Because he's afraid of being rejected," Juvia said heavily. "He's afraid of not being forgiven."

"And why stick your neck out for this person?" he asked curiously.

"Gajeel-kun really is a good person. And if his prior actions are to be held against him, then they should be held against Juvia as well, for we acted as a guild - as a whole. And Juvia believes if Gajeel was part of a better guild - a kinder guild, then Gajeel-kun's actions would be kinder, too. Juvia swears that he truly does have a good heart, if only someone gave him the chance to -"

"Stop."

Juvia jumped at his sharp tone. She could feel herself trembling. She wondered if she had made him angry now, bringing up Gajeel? But she swore to herself that she would do everything she could to save him somehow. Surely if the master could forgive her, his sins, too, could be forgiven in this caring place?

"Stand up please."

Juvia did so shakily.

Makarov's face was very serious now as he addressed her again. "Are you prepared to vouch for this person? Are you prepared to hinge your own membership in Fairy Tail upon his behavior? Are you prepared to risk being removed from the guild along with him should Gajeel betray us, or cause the guild or it's members harm again?" he asked steadily.

Juvia's thoughts about these ultimatums were brief as she responded with a sound, "yes." Her gaze was sincere, as she met Makarov's eyes.

And then, thankfully, Makarov smiled again. "You are brave, of course," he said, more to himself, than to her. "Alright… so, where is this boy hiding?"

Juvia's eyes brightened, and her heart felt lighter than she could ever remember it being in her entire life as she realized Makarov was accepting Gajeel's membership along with her own. "At the junk heap, one town over in Kartsworth," she informed him, her arms clasped tightly in front of her, as Makarov got up from his chair to meet her.

"I see, I best go speak to him, then. Mind you, I'm not promising anything, but I'll do my best to convince him that he's welcome in Fairy Tail if he chooses to come."

"I'm sure he will, Master. Thank you so much!" she said again emphatically, her eyes sparkling with tears of happiness as he led her to the door.

Juvia followed behind him. Her head was abuzz at the thrill that she had been forgiven and allowed to truly become a Fairy Tail mage along with Gajeel. However, her thoughts were interrupted when Makarov stopped suddenly. He turned back towards her, his expression unreadable.

"Yes, master?"

He gave her a scrutinizing look. "Has anyone suspicious ever approached you? Anyone from the magic council, maybe?"

Juvia was startled by this odd question, but thought back. "Well, everyone in Phantom Lord was interrogated by the magic council before the order to disband was given."

"Did they ask you anything?

"Juvia was asked a few general questions about her years with Phantom Lord, and Juvia's role in the attack on Fairy tail," she said with a guilt stricken look on her face.

"And that's it?"

"Yes, Juvia thinks so."

Makarov seemed to sigh. "Even though you've been fully accepted, outside these walls let's not parade the fact that you've joined Fairy Tail, ok?"

"Oh… Yes, of course," Juvia said, assuming this request was to do with the fact that Juvia was from a sullied guild, and he didn't want to bring shame upon Fairy Tail's reputation. Her heart felt a little heavier again at this thought, but Makarov's earnest smile to her seemed to melt the weight away.

"Oh, and Juvia?" he said, stopping again, his hand on the doorknob. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention that punishment I gave you to Mirajane. Only because I don't think she would approve of such uh…leniency," he said, his eyes shifty while he cleared his throat.

"Of course, Master," Juvia said, still a bit confused, but also grateful.

"You're a good girl," he smiled up at her, and she smiled back.

They walked back into the guild hall, which was still very quiet, other than a few scattered, and worried mutterings around the room. Many people rose off their chairs again when Master Makarov and Juvia reemerged.

Mirajane approached them immediately. "Is everything alright, Master?" she asked, looking unsure.

"Yes, everything's just fine!" Makarov said heartily. "Better than fine, actually. Juvia has just joined Fairy Tail."

Mirajane looked thoroughly taken aback, but her face relaxed within seconds as Makarov smiled broadly up at her.

"I see!" she said. "Welcome, Juvia!" she said kindly.

Juvia heart swelled yet again.

"Thank you, Mirajane-san!" Juvia said, bowing again.

"Take care of her, and make sure she gets her guild mark," Makarov said, as he made to head outside.

"Of course, Master. Are you going out?"

"Yes, I have an errand to run," master said mysteriously, although Juvia knew that he was about to go find Gajeel. She thought back to how Gajeel had reacted with her, and couldn't help being a bit worried about how things would go, but she had faith in Master Makarov that things would turn out alright.

"So! You need a guild mark!" Mirajane said enthusiastically. "Come back here."

Juvia followed her obediently to behind the bar, where she pulled out a guild stamp device from within a box buried under a row of glasses on a shelf.

"What color would you like, and where do you want it?"

Juvia thought about this for a few moments. She used to have her old guild mark, in black, on the inside of her right forearm. She was half-tempted to get black again, as she thought about Gray's own mark, and the color of his spiky hair. Before she knew it, her mind had drifted off into a heavenly place, as in her thoughts Gray was praising her choice of guild mark color, so happy that they matched, and saying that surely this was a sign that they were meant to be. Juvia clutched her hands to her face, which was now pleasurably flushed.

"Um, are you alright?" Mirajane asked in amusement, snapping Juvia out of her reverie.

"Oh, yes! Well, Juvia was thinking about black, but her old guild mark was also black, so…"

"So, you'd like a fresh new look, then, right? I think that's a smart way to go," Mirajane said. "How about blue? You're a water mage, right? And it would go nicely with your hair," Mira advised expertly.

"Do you really think so, Mirajane-san?" she asked eagerly, thinking about Gray again, and how he might say the blue really brought out the color in her hair. She flushed again.

"Definitely," Mira assured her. "And you don't need to be so formal. You can call me Mira."

"Ok, Mira-san," Juvia corrected.

Mira giggled. "Good enough, I suppose. Now, where would you like it?"

Juvia didn't want to put it on her forearm again, but couldn't think of what would be a better place. "Where does Mira-san have her guild mark?" she inquired.

Mira cheekily pulled up her skirt a bit to show the white Fairy Tail mark on her left thigh.

"S-so bold!" Juvia said, impressed by Mira's daring. "Juvia wants hers there, too!"

Mira laughed. "Very well! Lift up your skirt."

Juvia did so blushingly. Before she knew it, she had been tattooed with the Fairy Tail guild mark herself. She almost couldn't believe it. She was truly a member of Fairy Tail now. The sight of it filled her with a sense of belonging.

"Now it's all official," she said warmly.

Juvia had already been a blubbering mess thus far that day, but she couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes once again.

"Yes, thank you!"

"Come, we must introduce you," she said, and she took Juvia by the hand, and led her in front of the bar, and onto the stage.

Juvia could see many members were still eying her, some in distrust, and some in trepidation.

"Everyone," Mira said, catching the guild members' attention through the microphone which floated before her. "I want you all to meet Juvia Lockser, the new member of Fairy Tail. Please treat her kindly, as she is part of our family now."

Mira's announcement was met with silence, and Juvia could feel more than just the lights of the guild, but also the members' judgement and shock bearing down on her now. She was sure many people wouldn't understand how the Master could ever have let her join, but it didn't seem like any of them were about to go against his, or Mira's wishes. Also, the feeling of being referred to as a part of a family almost made her forget the wariness of all the others.

Juvia felt a soft pressure on her back.

"Go on, Juvia, say something," Mira said encouragingly, still smiling kindly at her, and pushing her forward.

Juvia wrung her hands together in nervousness, but approached the microphone. She tried not to look at anyone directly, and instead tried to let her words drift against the general tide of disquiet that seemed to dominate the room. "Juvia can never begin to fully apologize for all the trouble she and her former guild has caused all of you," she began remorsefully. "You have every right to not like or trust her. But Juvia has learned how kind and caring the people here are, and she can only confess to wanting to be engulfed in that kindness, as well. She's so happy to be a part of Fairy Tail, and she will do everything in her power to always protect it, because she truly likes you all very much. So, Juvia hopes we can get along from now on. Thank you," she finished her thoughtful speech, and paused, wondering if anyone would call out to her in anger, or worse. However, instead, she was surprised to be met with a few claps and sounds of approval from within the crowd, including a rowdy, dark-haired woman who was hugging a barrel of alcohol with one hand, and cheerfully banging the table with the other.

"There you go!" Mira said to Juvia, giving her hand a brief, but comforting squeeze, before turning back to the microphone again. "Please make her feel at home," Mira said, clapping as well.

Juvia gave one last smile and polite bow, before walking off the stage, with Mirajane following behind.

Juvia let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Mira said, patting Juvia on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Mira-san," Juvia said. "Juvia is sure many guild members are still wary of her, but she will do everything she can to prove she's a true member of Fairy Tail."

"That's the spirit! And as for those who are still being stubborn, just give them a bit of time, they'll come around," she said, a confident ease to her tone, which seemed to alleviate some of Juvia's distress.

"So, you're the new blood, huh?"

Juvia turned around to see the brunette, who she had seen previously clutching a barrel, walking up to her.

"Um… yes! Juvia finds it a pleasure to meet -" but Juvia's over-polite greeting was interrupted by Cana who put her arm around her shoulder and steered her to a table occupied by two men, one of which was smoking a pipe, and the other, who had a small mustache.

Juvia looked questioning behind her back at Mira, who simply smiled, and let her be led away.

"How are you at holding your liquor, Juvia?"

"Uh… Juvia is not sure. Juvia doesn't drink very much," she admitted.

"Then I guess we're about to find out," the woman laughed, before stopping at the table and introducing the seated men.

"These two geezers are Macao and Wakaba," she said, pointing her hand towards each of them. "And I'm Cana," she said, grinning. She then took Juvia's hand in her own and shook it vigorously. Juvia nearly shook along with it.

"Juvia is honored to make your acquaintance, Macao-San, Wakaba-san, and Cana-san," Juvia said smiling graciously at each of them.

"She's a cutie," Macao said to Wakaba who nodded in agreement, as he puffed on his pipe.

"Keep you eyes off the new recruit, old man," Cana warned with a glare.

"Just because we're older, doesn't mean we can't look," Wakaba threw back at her with a smile towards Juvia, who was beginning to feel befuddled and a bit flustered.

"It does for you, you're married," Cana said.

"A mere technicality," Wakaba insisted, before Cana waved towards the entrance of the guild, and shouted a greeting using a woman's name, which must have been the name of Wakaba's wife.

Wakaba shot up from the bench, sweaty and embarrassed, as he scanned the room in a flurry for the person Cana greeted.

"Dear! I didn't know you were…."

"Oops, my mistake, she's not here after all," Cana said, grinning wickedly at him.

He sat down, looking resigned and red-faced.

Chuckling, Cana put her arm even more firmly around Juvia's shoulders and steered her to the opposite end of the table. "Let's put some distance between us and those perverts, shall we?"

They sat themselves down, and Mira came over within a few seconds carrying a mug of beer for Juvia.

"Thank you, Mira-san."

"When Mira walked away, Juvia began to wonder where Cana's mug was, until she saw the barrel again, which she picked up with ease, and took a long chug from.

"That's so impressive," Juvia said, in awe.

"Right? I can drink anyone under the table within a five town radius. It's one of my gifts. But enough about me, how about you? You used to be part of the Element Four of Phantom, right?"

"Yes," Juvia said, and her head hung a little low, a fresh wave of discomfort sweeping over her. "In fact, Juvia is sure many people here are not happy with her presence," she confessed, her fingers playing nervously with the handle of her mug.

"Ah, who cares? People are always intimidated by a strong woman," Cana stated lightly, seeming not to notice Juvia's distress. "So, what made you want to join?"

Juvia looked at her, and she appeared genuinely interested. "Well, during Phantom Lord's battle against your guild - "

"OUR guild," Cana corrected, grinning at her.

Juvia's spirits lifted. She smiled embarrassedly, took a sip of her beer at last, and went on. "Yes, our guild, " she said affectionately. And she proceeded to give her some backstory about her constant rain, and her fight and loss against Gray.

"Go figure... So, he managed to stop the rain, huh?"

"Yes," Juvia said, now blushing, both from the alcohol, and from the memory. Up until that point, she had been referring to Gray as the ice wizard, but the more intoxicated she became, the more readily she offered up information. So, when she began to explain more about how enamored she had become with "Gray-sama," and how she had tracked him and his team down at the casino, and how she had approached him, Cana couldn't help but cut in again.

The older woman's eyebrow raised, and a sly grin on her face, she asked, "_Gray-sama_, huh? And how did _Gray-sama _react when you told him you wanted to join Fairy Tail?"

"He said he wouldn't mind," Juvia recounted honestly, taking another, deeper sip of her beer, as her hefty mug began to feel much lighter.

Cana smirked and gave Juvia a good look up and down, obviously appraising her appearance, before saying under her breath, "I bet he wouldn't," with a light laugh.

Juvia was confused again as she cocked her head.

"Juvia, you really like Gray, huh?" Cana pressed the younger girl, as if she was hunting for the juiciest bit of gossip she had heard in a long while.

"Well," Juvia hesitated, her face was so red now, that it looked like her scalp was glowing through the roots of her hair. "Yes, Juvia likes Gray-sama very much!" she said quickly and hiccuping slightly.

"You know he's a pervert, though, right? I can't remember the number of times he's stripped off without even realizing it," Cana warned, as if it was her duty.

"Juvia knows, and doesn't care if Gray-sama is a bit… more daring than some other men. If you've got it, flaunt it!" Juvia declared, banging her mug on the table.

Cana laughed again, and pulled Juvia's mug gently out of her hand. "I think you've had enough," she said, before fixing her eyes more seriously on Juvia's resolute ones, and sighing. "Well, I wish you luck. Gray is a good guy, and a good friend," she said earnestly, "but… let's just say you've got a tough route ahead of you with that one."

"Juvia will do her best to make sure her feelings reach Gray-sama!" she said again, this time pounding her fists on the table, her face puffed out in stubbornness.

Cana seemed to give Juvia's steadfast declarations a bit of thought, before smiling, and saying, "you know what? I think you might just be exactly what Gray needs."

Juvia's eyes seemed to sparkle at Cana's words. "Really, Cana-san?"

"Yeah, so if that perverted idiot gives you a hard time, just come to your big sis Cana, and she'll set things straight," she said, winking and giving her a thumbs up.

Juvia was so moved that she fell onto Cana, hugging and sobbing her thanks.

Cana patted her head comfortingly. "What are friends for?" she said, giggling under the shower of Juvia's grateful, and mildly drunk affections.

* * *

Juvia smiled to herself, thinking how her life had come so far since that day, and Juvia had made so many new friends, while becoming completely accepted by Fairy Tail. And yet there were other things that still ate away at her. There were things that were still incomplete in her life. But maybe today Master Makarov could finally shine some light on them at last.

"Well, Master, Juvia has been thinking recently about her parents."

Makarov had just been about to write something down on one of the papers in front of him, when he paused at Juvia's words, pen hovering over the paper.

"Your parents? Do you…remember them?"

"No," Juvia said ruefully, "and that's why Juvia has come to you. She thought maybe you could help decipher something cryptic that Jose Porla had mentioned to Juvia once, when she was still in Phantom Lord."

Makarov put his pen down completely. He put his elbows on his desk, and crossed his fingers together in front of him, just as he had done all those years ago. His face looked stern, almost angry.

"Go on," he said simply.

Juvia recounted her previous failed searches to find info on her parentage, and the conversation she had with Jose. She talked about his mention of her looking like someone he seemed to know. Once she was finished telling her short tale, she waited for Makarov to speak.

Makarov seemed to deliberate for a long time, his chin now resting on his hands. Finally, he took a deep, labored breath, and said, "I think you shouldn't worry about what Jose said."

Juvia was surprised by this advice. This wasn't what she was hoping or looking for. "But-"

"He was just being his infuriatingly pompous self. He always thought he was somehow more connected and important than he actually was. He thought he knew everything, and only his opinions and thoughts were the correct ones as far as he was concerned," he growled. "Just forget about it," he said firmly.

"Juvia wants to know about her parents, though," Juvia insisted fiercely. "Maybe Master can tell Juvia, something - _anything. _Juvia just wants to know where she came from. Please," she said beseechingly.

Makarov looked down from her desperate face, and spoke more to the papers in front of him, than to Juvia herself, as if he couldn't bare to look at her. "All I can say is, it's safer for you not to know. Take my advice, and don't pursue this. Trust me," he finished solemnly.

When Makarov looked back into her face, she could see his expression was pained now. He seemed to be struggling with something within himself.

"So, you do know something, then?" Juvia persisted.

"I can't say any more, I'm sorry, Juvia," Makarov said, and by the finality in his tone, Juvia could tell there was no point attempting to press the subject any further. Her head hanging low, she exited the room without another word.

* * *

_A/N: Again, no real Gruvia (j__ust hints of it)__ in this chapter. I'm so sorry about that! I just couldn't fit it in, but I swear, there is in the next chapter, which I've already started writing, so the next update should be much quicker! Also, I think I've filled in all the important holes thus far since we met Juvia in the FT timeline. Everything after this will focus on her past pre-FT, and on her parents, and what happened there, so I hope you'll continue to follow along. ^_^_

**Teaser for the next chapter:**

We take a short trip through Makarov's memories, after which he enlists Gray's help to keep a reign on Juvia's curiosity. However, Gray doesn't keep to his word, as he decides to take Juvia to "that old guy" to see if they can dig up any more info about her parents.


	5. A Cold Reception

Makarov sat in pensive silence for a long while after Juvia left his office. This was not good. He had already been struggling lately to figure out how to undo the mistake he had already made when selecting Juvia for Team B during the Grand Magic Games. But now that she was actively pursuing information about her parents, it seemed like he would have to take more extreme measures in keeping her safe. Otherwise, she was libel to walk right into their hands, and he would not allow that.

Makarov breathed a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples in a weary sort of way, willing himself to come up with a solution. Lately he had felt his age, and he hated it. Many a time he'd been told by council members, and even his friend Yajima, that he should give up the reigns, and pass on the task of guild master to the younger generation. But, his load was still too heavy to burden the youth with at this point. He carried too many responsibilities, and too many secrets, and this current situation only further cemented this train of thought. His reflections over Yajima and the council, mingled with Juvia's earlier words about the Phantom Lord's Master Jose Porla, and caused him to now dwell on matters involving the former guild master, which had begun many years ago.

Jose had always been a conniving, power-hungry person for as long as Makarov had known him. However, he wasn't always in a position of power. Early on he was simply an independent, but incredibly skilled mage with shady connections, working to increase his reputation. He was attempting to build a following, so he may reestablish a guild his grandfather had started long ago, and which had long since disbanded. He was hoping to reinstate it, and operate it under his twisted ideals and motivations. He struggled for several years, constantly being batted back by the magic council, because of substantial rumors of his ties to dark guilds and petty criminals. Yet one day Makarov suddenly found himself shocked to learn that not only had Jose Porla succeeded at last in reviving the guild Phantom Lord, but that he had also been named one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Makarov, however, didn't wonder what caused this change of heart amongst the council members. He sadly knew that the voices that had previously fought against Jose had been silenced, and the opposition wiped away.

Of course, Makarov had no real proof that Jose had a hand in the tragically vacated council seats. He merely had his suspicions, which only increased on that day of mourning which came back to him as if it were yesterday.

Makarov recalled that rain that had clattered mercilessly on the steps leading up to the council building. It had been cloudy all the way into the city, but the rain seemed to intensify as they neared the council headquarters, as if it was an epicenter of gloom. It had been fifteen years since Ben and Sylvia's passing, and yet their loss was still felt just as strongly as the day news spread of their deaths. Makarov considered both departed council members as his friends. Makarov and the young couple saw eye to eye on many issues, and though neither of them had ever been Fairy Tail wizards, Makarov had watched the both of them evolve from exuberant teens into upstanding mages, who imbued a much needed sense of youth and righteousness into the otherwise archaic council. And yet their stay on the council was unfairly brief. It was on these weighty thoughts that Makarov labored carefully on the slick, white, stone steps before being greeted by his council friend Yajima, and several other council advisers who were gathered at the top of the steps near the entrance. However, they barely had time to exchange greetings and commiserations under the shelter of the entranceway, before the sight of a tall, purple-clad figure making his own way up the council steps, a large black umbrella hovering over his pointed hat, distracted them entirely.

As Jose Porla neared the top, Makarov could see a barely concealed grin under his thin mustache.

"Well, good morning, all. What a fine, rainy day fate has blessed us with. I think Benjamin would approve, don't you?" he said smoothly to the gathered crowd of council workers, as he stepped inside. He closed his umbrella, and attempted to shake it free of it's wet inhabitants, rain scattering everywhere on the otherwise pristine marble floor.

"You have the nerve to show your face at this memorial service?" one of the elder advisers croaked angrily.

Jose raised an eyebrow in amusement, and considered the man for a second before responding. "And why shouldn't I? I am an esteemed Guild Master, one of the Wizard Saints of Ishgar, and was issued an invitation to attend by this very council. I think it would have been very rude not to to show, don't you?"

"Wizard Saint," one of the other workers, a tiny man, who's hair looked as insubstantial as his frame, scoffed, "And how many people did you pay off to land that title?"

"Now now, are you implying that the council you work for is corrupt?"

The man reddened, but said nothing.

"Ben and Sylvia would have been the most disgusted with your current status," Yajima stated, as he glared up at Jose.

Jose smirked back. "Well, it's a good thing they are not here then."

Outraged muttering swept the small crowd at this comment.

"Such resentment, it saddens me," he said, though he sounded more so entertained, than earnestly upset at the reception he was receiving. The smirk now clearly present on his face made it obvious that he was reveling in the commotion his presence created. That's when he seemed to notice Makarov, who's attention had been drawn towards a large, magically propelled carriage which Jose had arrived in, and which was now being guarded by a huge man with a bandage over his eyes, and a young girl, who looked no older than fifteen, with tightly curled, blue hair.

Jose grinned wickedly, as Makarov's eyes widened in shock, and an alarmed expression seized his face as he seemed to realize something.

"I see you are admiring my elite mages," Jose said bending over low to whisper into Makarov's ear. "I call them the Element Four, as they each specialize in one of the four basic elements. Obviously I only have two with me today," he chuckled. "Air and _water_."

Makarov remained silent, but stared at him in consternation.

"It's unfortunate that Ben especially isn't around. I think he would have gotten on well with my own water mage," he said thoughtfully, though his tone seemed to be hiding something sinister as Yajima now, too, was looking at the stoic young girl, standing vigilantly, an umbrella adorned with pink hearts held stoutly in her hand.

"Pure water mages are tragically rare, after all," he went on, his grin becoming wider. "Such a shame that Benjamin and Sylvia couldn't have left behind their own living legacy. I dare say he or she might have been similar to my own Juvia there, don't you think? Such a _pity_ Sylvia apparently miscarried."

This time Makarov could easily hear the malice in Jose's words, as his last sentence especially was said with relish, but there was nothing he could do, and Jose knew it. He smugly pushed passed Yajima and Makarov, and headed inside. Makarov could only stare helplessly at the young girl, who bore a striking resemblance to the people who's memorial he was currently attending. Powerless, and not wanting to cause a fight, he too headed inside, though his head throbbed, and his blood boiled as he took his seat. And yet, a new, and more relieving thought suddenly came to him. _They weren't completely gone after all. _

It was a comforting realization, but Makarov's unease quickly crept back to him during the memorial service, and each time he looked over at Jose Porla. The ill feeling stuck with Makarov long afterwards, until the day Juvia appeared before him again, this time her face much brighter, and her heart much lighter, as she requested a place in his guild.

Makarov's recollections seemed to bring the current situation under even more urgency for him, and just as a temporary solution came to him, Mirajane obligingly walked through the door.

"Master, we've had a letter from a new client asking about a mission that was - "

Makarov cut her off. "Never mind that right now, is Gray out there?"

Mira looked taken aback, but replied, "yes, he just arrived."

"Good. Tell him to come in here. I need to talk to him about something," Makarov said sharply.

* * *

Gray was having an argument with Natsu over whether his fist encased in ice could make a bigger hole in the wall than Natsu's fist covered in fire. Just before they had the chance to do any damage to the guild hall wall, however, Mira called to Gray, thankfully putting the experiment on hold.

"We'll settle this later, flame-breath, and we'll see who will be buying who lunch for the next week," Gray jeered before making his way towards Mira.

"What's up, Mira-chan?"

"Master would like to speak to you," Mira informed him.

Surprised, Gray made his way to the back room, and barely knocked on the door before entering and being greeted with a very somber looking Makarov.

"What's up, Gramps?" Gray said seriously, taken aback by Makrov's expression.

"You and Juvia are close." It was a statement rather than a question, and Gray's cheeks reddened as if Makarov had spoken it over a loud speaker rather than in a private room.

"What?!" he asked, discomposed. "No we're not!" he said wildly. "She's just always hanging around me! I haven't - I'm not - We're just- Um…"

Makarov gave him a deadpan stare until Gray worked himself down into an embarrassed silence.

"Listen, she's been poking around for information about her parents. I need you to keep an eye on her and make sure that she doesn't find out anything," he said steadily.

"Huh?" Gray was thoroughly taken aback by this request, and then he considered Makarov's words. "Why? Do you know who they are?" he asked quickly, thinking back to Juvia's confession from last night, and how upset she had been.

"Nevermind that," Makarov said, brushing him off.

Gray frowned at him. "If you know, it's wrong to keep it from her. She deserves the truth," he said, a slight edge to his voice.

"Not when the truth can put her life at risk," he snapped, his fist slamming the table.

Gray's brow knitted in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, just keep close to her. And make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. It's for her own good," Makarov said, and there was a bit of a plea in his voice this time.

Gray said nothing for several moments, as he contemplated Juvia's sadness over never having known her family, and Makarov's request. Gray had been in Fairy Tail long enough to know that his guild master never did things without good reason. If he was asking this of Gray, then Juvia must be in some kind of danger that only he could foresee. So, even though Juvia's happiness was important to him, it was clear that Makarov was prioritizing her safety in this case. And though he disliked not being told why and how Juvia searching for information about her parents was putting her at risk, he felt like at this moment he needed to just trust Makarov. Therefore, it was with an uneasy heart that Gray grudgingly agreed.

"Alright, alright I'll do it. But I still think it's wrong to keep her in the dark," he said, unable to help himself.

"Sometimes the dark is the safest place to be," Makarov replied mysteriously.

* * *

To Natsu's disappointed, Gray did not go back to their wall punching experiment. Instead he said he had something more important to do, and headed outside. He needed to find Juvia, who he had not seen all day, but according to Mira, she had left the guild an hour ago, and as far as she knew, Juvia wasn't out on a job. Had she gone back to the girl's dorm perhaps?

Gray hadn't been to the girl's dorm in ages. Guys weren't allowed inside, but he and Natsu had snuck in a couple of times to play some tricks on Erza and the other girls when they were kids. These risky missions were always to their cost, however, for they ended up getting caught each and every time, and Erza would volunteer to discipline them for their behavior. Gray shivered inwardly at the memories of Erza chasing them around with one of her swords as they tried to escape their punishment.

Gray wandered down the dirt path which led to the dormitory, and thought about how he would keep Juvia occupied and away from the information Makarov was worried about her pursuing.

Truth be told, even though he had agreed to Makarov's request to keep Juvia off the track of her family history, he still felt very uneasy about the entire situation. He couldn't help that pang in his chest as he thought back to that night when everyone was talking about their parents, and Juvia had been crying all alone outside. He had held her tightly and wanted to erase all the sadness she had ever felt. He wanted to help her find answers to ease the pain in her heart, and it seemed Makarov would be able to provide those answers. But it was clear that Makarov was not going to divulge what he knew, and apparently that was in Juvia's best interests.

Gray stopped suddenly, as he nearly ran into a sign post in his contemplation of Juvia's situation. He backed up a few steps, and realized it was the sign pointing to the Fairy Hills Dormitory, which he was nearing now. And as he looked towards the front door of the dorm, he could see a blue-haired girl popping out from within. Just the person he was looking for.

Without pausing to consider what Juvia might think of him seemingly trying to meet up with her at the girl's dormitory, he called out to her.

"Juvia!"

Juvia's head turned in the direction of the familiar, deep tone. At the sight of Gray heading towards her, Juvia's eyes widened and her whole face lit up instantly.

"Gray-sama!" she said joyously, rushing up to greet him. "What is Gray-sama doing here?" she asked, with a smile so broad her face could barely contain it all.

"I came to see you," he said without thinking of the implications.

"Gray-sama was coming to meet Juvia? At her dormitory?!" she said breathlessly, her eyes sparkling with a giddy disbelief. "Juvia doesn't know what to say… Ah!" Juvia looked like she had been struck by the most wonderful prospect. "Could this be what they call a secret rendezvous?! This is so scandalous, Gray-sama, yet also so romantic!"

Gray flushed for the second time that day, the mistaken meaning behind his sudden appearance finally hitting him like a brick in the face. "Well- I mean, I wasn't really coming to meet you in _that_ way. I was just trying to find you."

"You were looking for Juvia?!" Juvia said, even more excitedly. "Juvia is so happy that Gray-sama was missing her so much." Juvia seemed to bubble over with joy at the thought of her beloved Gray-sama searching the ends of the earth to find a missing Juvia, whom he clearly held so dear, and whom he couldn't bear to part from for even an instant.

Gray could tell by the glazed look on Juvia's face that her imagination was running away from her again. He needed to nip it in the bud, and fast, before she got too carried away. "Actually, Master asked me to keep an eye on you," he said truthfully, because he didn't know what else to say that wouldn't give Juvia the wrong impression.

"Master?" and her joyed expression suddenly seemed to sink into disappointed consternation.

"Yeah, he seemed worried about you," Gray admitted.

Juvia previously delighted mood had come and gone like a gust of wind at Gray's words. "Oh," and her voice reflected her flattened spirit. "Well, Juvia has been trying to find information about her parents, and she thought Master might have known something. But he turned her away," she explained sullenly.

"However, Juvia will not be discouraged," she rallied. "Juvia has never known a thing about her family. If there is even a small clue as to who they were and what happened to them, Juvia is resolved to find it."

Gray looked at Juvia's face which was alight with determination, although her eyes were shining with unshed tears, and he could feel his own stance on the issue resurface. Ignoring Makarov's warnings, he couldn't help but ask Juvia, "but if the old man refuses to tell you anything, who else can you ask? Do you have any other leads?"

Juvia sucked in a hopeful breath at Gray's questions. "Could it be that Gray-sama is interested in helping Juvia?"

His eyes locked on her eager ones, again Gray thought back on that night where he had wrapped his arms around a sorrowful Juvia, and how much he wished to never see her that way again.

"I guess I am, " he replied, and Juvia's smile instantly returned to her face. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Gray-sama!" she gushed, touched by his offer to assist her.

"Don't get too excited yet. You still haven't told me if you have any other ideas on who to ask for info."

"Well, as Juvia had told Master, Juvia's former master Jose Porla had made a strange comment about Juvia resembling someone. So Juvia thought maybe he knew something about Juvia's past. That's what Juvia tried to ask Master about. She knew that Master Makarov and Jose Porla go way back and have a history together. But Master refused to say anything. This makes Juvia even more suspicious. Therefore, since master won't help, she'll try and find Jose Porla herself, and ask him directly what he meant."

Listening to Juvia's reasoning, Gray was now regretting telling her the truth. Perhaps he should have distracted Juvia by playing into her own fantasies after all, letting her think whatever she wanted about what his motivations were, and dealing with the consequences at a later date. Now, however, he seemed stuck into helping her do exactly what he had assured Makarov he would keep her from doing. How did he let her sway him in this way? Why did he always crumble to her will so easily?

"But do you really think it's a good idea to go searching for a guy who started a war with Fairy Tail?" he countered.

"If Master won't tell Juvia about her parents, then Juvia will go to the only other person who seemed like he might know," she reiterated calmly. "It's alright," she added, seeing the arrested look on Gray's face. "Juvia knows Jose Porla well enough. She used to be one of his elite mages after all. She'll be alright," she assured him with a small smile.

Was this the danger Makarov was worried about? Juvia trying to seek out her old, villainous guild master? Gray could see why Makarov wouldn't want her doing that. Porla was a nasty piece of work. But if that was the case, why not just tell Juvia himself what she wanted to know, to avoid her seeking assistance from one of Fairy Tail's former enemies?

Though he could make no further sense of Makarov's decision, he realized that he must follow in Makarov's footsteps, and dissuade Juvia from pursuing this course of action. However, he had also already agreed that he would help Juvia try and find her parents, and he intended to stick to that. Especially if she was going to try and go off on her own after a dangerous ex-Wizard Saint. Where then could he redirect her, to keep her away from Jose Porla?

That's when Gray had a sudden spark of realization attributed to Juvia's prior statement of Makarov and Porla going way back. Jose himself wasn't that old as far as Gray knew. Certainly no where near Makarov's age. He was of a younger generation. And if Porla really did know Juvia's parents, maybe someone around the same age would also know of them? Who was the other oldest person Gray knew in Fairy Tail?

"That old guy is still in town," Gray muttered to himself.

Juvia looked perplexed. "Gray-sama?"

"Listen, forget Jose Porla for right now, alright?" he urged her. "There's someone closer by who might know a thing or two about your parents. If Makarov knew who they were, then maybe they were somehow connected to Fairy Tail, and the second current oldest member of our guild might have known them, too."

Juvia, who was still quite a recent recruit of Fairy Tail compared to most everyone else in the guild, took a while to figure out just who Gray was referring to. "Oh!" she said suddenly, the pieces clicking into place in her memory, "do you mean...?"

"Yeah," he said, grinning, and taking her hand in his own to lead her, "let's go have a talk with Gildarts."

* * *

_A/N: I've finally updated this story. I'm so very sorry for the long delay. Some developments in FT Zero happened, and kind of messed up the backstory I had planned with Jose and Makarov. But I remedied it, and finally can get this released. I can't promise how long the next update will take, because I have not started writing that yet, but I'm glad that I can finally, and properly start the Gruvia portion of this fic lmao. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and please look out for the continuation. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated and also let me know people are still reading/interested in this story. ^_^_


End file.
